Flying Solo: How Ruth Elder Soared into America's Heart - Hardcover

Cummins, Julie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1596435097 ISBN 13: 9781596435094

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 2013

Synopsis

In 1927, airplanes were a thrilling but dangerous novelty. Most people, men and women, believed that a woman belonged in the kitchen and not in a cockpit. One woman, Ruth Elder, set out to prove them wrong by flying across the Atlantic Ocean. Ruth didn't make it, crashing spectacularly, but she flew right into the spotlight and America's heart. This is the story of a remarkable woman who chased her dreams with grit and determination, and whose appetite for adventure helped pave the way for future generations of female flyers.

About this title

About the Author:

Julie Cummins has loved books all her life. That passion led to a career as a children's librarian and the position of coordinator of children's services at the New York Public Library. Her previous books Tomboy of the Air, Women Daredevils, and Women Explorers all bring to life women who challenged tradition and risked their lives to follow their dreams.

Malene R. Laugesen has also illustrated Mama Went to Jail for the Vote by Kathleen Karr, The Blessing Box by Karen Hill, and The Princess Gown by Linda Leopold Strauss. She lives in New Zealand.

From Booklist:

Ruth Elder, a contemporary of Amelia Earhart, set her sights on becoming the first woman to fly across the Atlantic. At age 23, and after only a few flying lessons, she and her copilot set forth. Two-thirds of the way into their flight, the gas line sprung a leak, and they were forced to abandon the plane. Fortunately, they were rescued by a nearby ship. In 1929, she and 19 other women (including Earhart) flew solo across the country to prove women can pilot as well as men—and, in this depiction, do it with a few enjoyable comic interludes, too. After landing safely in Cleveland, the ever-optimistic Elder expresses her belief that women would one day become fighter pilots. Laugesen’s idyllic paintings capture Elder’s beauty and personality while complementing the text. Pair with Daredevil, by Meghan McCarthy, reviewed on this page. Grades 1-3. --J. B. Petty

About this edition

• Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1596435097
• ISBN 13: 9781596435094
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Laugesen Malene R.